Coming Events

My book launch for my new historical novel Finding Flora was held on April 1, 2025 at Pynelogs Cultural Centre in Invermere. About 100 guests attended, many of them in pioneer garb. Donna Fitzgibbon won the Fancy Hat contest!

This lovely lady wore a beautiful gown to my book launch!

My daughter Katie and her husband Tom, along with their children Juliet, Jack, and Nora, came dressed to the nines for my book launch. Jack even wore his coonskin cap!

It was a real pleasure to meet fellow historical fiction author Genevieve Graham at Audreys Books in Edmonton on April 6, 2025.

I'm always thrilled to meet people who subscribe to this newsletter, so it was delightful when Shirley Moorman introduced herself at Indigo Sherwood Park on April 8, 2025.

The Alix Wagon Wheel Museum in Alberta hosted me for a book talk and tea on April 12, 2025. Bunny Kullman and Michelle Guevremont looked as if they had just stepped from the pages of Pioneers and Progress, the local Alix history book!

Amy from Toronto, left, and Rae from Calgary, are bookstagrammers who call themselves @2girlsandabookshelf. I met them at Café Books in Canmore, Alberta on April 19, 2025.

My cousin Cheryl Godin of Cranbrook, B.C. wore her best pioneer outfit at my event at Huckleberry Books on April 24, 2025.

 

Back in 2022, it was thrilling to address the crowd in the great hall at Danesfield House Hotel, one hour west of London, England.

This was the setting for Bird’s Eye View, and I was invited to speak at the Victory in Europe Day anniversary, May 2022.

For Remembrance Day 2019, I visited Windermere Elementary School and spoke to the students about Children on the Home Front.

At the Christmas Craft Sale in Invermere, B.C. in December 2018, my granddaughter Nora, aged 5, sold her handmade bookmarks at my table.

I made a return visit to the Calgary Association of Lifelong Learners in October 2018. Here I am with one of the organizers, Pat Hogan.

At the tiny Breton Municipal Library in Alberta in October 2018, I met this bright young woman Chelsea Hagen, who wants to be a writer herself!

I spoke to about 100 people at the exciting literary festival in St. Albert called STARFest, sponsored by the St. Albert Public Library, on October 9, 2018.

At Red Deer Chapters in October 2018, I caught up with an old friend, former Red Deer librarian Paula Lefaivre.

Two young women who serve as “Peachland Ambassadors” welcomed visitors to my book event at the Peachland Art Gallery in September 2018.

Kim Schlieper and her husband rode their motorcycles all the way from Victoria in September 2018 to say hello at Chapters Nanaimo!

The book club at the Melfort Public Library took me out for dinner in June 2018. Thanks so much, ladies!

Margaret Wasmuth, who farms near Cut Knife, Saskatchewan, visited me at the North Battleford Public Library in June 2018.

I was thrilled that Yvonne Wildman, one of the RCAF veterans in my anthology titled My Favourite Veterans, made it to my book event at McNally Robinson in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on June 7, 2018.

Karlee Kapler came down to Coles in Grande Prairie, Alberta on May 26, 2018 for her signed copy, since she had already read and loved Wildwood.

There was a very enthusiastic crowd at the Cochrane Public Library on April 19, 2018 for my slide show and talk. Thank you, Cochrane!

Elementary school teacher Kenzie MacAskill of Calgary dropped by Café Books in Canmore on April 1, 2018 to have her copy signed.

Truck driver Lance Norman of Calgary bought three copies of Wildwood at Chapters Chinook on March 31, 2018 — one for his mother, one for his aunt, and one for himself!

Adorable little Evelyn MacDonald, aged 3, came to visit me at Coles in Cranbrook, B.C. on March 24, 2018.

My new novel Wildwood was launched on March 18, 2018 at the historic Pynelogs Art Gallery in Invermere, B.C. In keeping with the book’s historic theme, my daughter Katie and I are wearing our best pioneer-inspired outfits.

It was a packed room at the Calgary Association of Lifelong Learners on November 10, 2017, and what a great crowd!

It was a beautiful day for my local Invermere Farmers’ Market on July 22, 2017.

Jean Burdette Young, formerly of Battleford, drove from her home in Nanaimo, B.C. to have her book signed at the Qualicum Beach Farmers Market on May 20, 2017. Thanks, Jean!

It was a great treat to meet Patricia Sandberg, author of Sun Dogs and Yellowcake (describing the history of uranium mining in Saskatchewan) when I spoke to the monthly meeting of the Canadian Authors group in Vancouver on May 10, 2017.

My local Christmas Craft Market in Invermere is always a fun event. In December 2016, even the Grinch showed up!

I was interviewed by Elizabeth Heinz, host of a television program called Head On, produced by Shaw Cable in Nanaimo, B.C., and broadcast throughout Vancouver Island in September 2016. To watch, click here: Head On.

I spoke to two book clubs combined in Campbell River, B.C. on September 14, 2016. My mother June Florence accompanied me to this wonderful event, organized by Patricia Ashmead, wearing her 1940s vintage apron!

It was quite a thrill to meet John Haysom at Chapters Bayers Lake in Halifax on June 25, 2016, because his father served as a photo interpreter at RAF Medmenham, the setting for my novel!

I was up bright and early to be interviewed by Paul Brothers, host of The Morning Show, Global TV in Halifax, on June 24, 2016.

Gehana Booth dressed in her vintage outfit to meet me at Chapters Rideau in Ottawa on June 16, 2016. She cried when she told me how much she loved my book! Surely there can be no higher praise.

I met Maureen Whitehead of Calgary, who had already read and “loved” my book, at Cafe Books in Canmore on April 30, 2016.

I had the great pleasure of attending the Windermere Gentlemen’s Reading Society in Invermere on April 11, 2016. Men enjoy my book, too!

Author Kristina Stanley, who has written two ski resort mysteries called Descent and Blaze; and Julie McDonald, who wrote Kidding Around in the Columbia Valley, joined me at Panorama Mountain Village for a joint event on December 12, 2015.

I spoke about my book at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 71 in Invermere on December 11, 2015. John Ashby of Invermere, a former photographic interpreter (like the heroine in my novel) brought along his stereoscope to show me!

I really enjoyed meeting folks in the beautiful School House Gallery in Peachland, B.C. on Saturday, November 21, 2015. Jointly hosted by the Peachland Arts Council and the Peachland Public Library, the event had a crowd of sixty with wine and cheese afterwards.

Jessica Cangiano of Penticton, B.C. wore her wartime vintage outfit to meet me at the Penticton Public Library on November 21, 2015.

Pam Moro and her mother Mary Collver came to hear my book talk at the Rose Wood Village in Trail, B.C. on November 18, courtesy of the Trail & District Public Library.

The Bomber Command Museum in Nanton, Alberta, hosted me on September 20, 2015 where I spoke to a packed room. My slide show always begins with the inspiration for my book, my dear mother June Florence.

My Winnipeg cousins turned out in full force at McNally Robinson on August 21, 2015.

My cousin Linda Selinger joined me when I spoke at the Commonwealth Air Museum in Brandon, Manitoba on August 19, 2015.

Former Western Producer colleague Joanne Skidmore dropped in for a visit at Chapters in Regina on August 15, 2015.

Janine Lacoursiere made Bird’s Eye View her “Staff Pick” at Coles Midtown Plaza in Saskatoon on August 13.

The staff at Chapters Nanaimo are the nicest people. Here I am with manager Tim Purtle in July 2015.

It’s always lovely when people invite me to their home. Joyce Daman of Qualicum Beach hosted a gathering of friends at her beautiful oceanside home on July 22, 2015.

It was a thrill to meet Jasmine Ramratan at Indigo Books in Edmonton on July 2, 2015. She bought five copies of my book for her friends, since she works with RCAF 9 Wing at CFB Gander, Newfoundland.

My cousin Alexandra Westman showed up at my bookstore signing in Whitehorse, Yukon, at a lovely little independent bookstore called Mac’s Fireweed Books. I was there on June 6, 2015 — the anniversary of D-Day.

When signing books at Mulberry Bush Book Store in Parksville, B.C. on May 2, 2015, I met this English couple named Chris and Susan Hood. Chris’s grandfather Thomas Hayter served as a Squadron Leader at RAF Medmenham, the setting for my novel!

It was an honour to meet Ruth Nesbitt at Indigo Books, West Vancouver on April 25, 2015. She served in the RCAF Women’s Division from 1942 to 1945.

I unveiled my new Powerpoint presentation (slide show) at the Mt. Cheam Probus Club in Chilliwack, B.C. on April 23, 2015. Here’s a shot of me, with a photo of my father Douglas Florence in the background.

Dorothy Constable dropped by to have her book signed at Chapters Strathcona in Edmonton, Alberta,  on March 20, 2015.

Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail, the official Edmonton Historian and fellow author whose latest book is titled Polar Winds: A Century of Flying the North, dropped by the Strathcona Public Library in Edmonton on March 21, 2015.

Christopher Perkin bought a copy for his grandfather, who lives in Delisle, Saskatchewan, at the Fairmont Ski Resort’s charity fundraiser for the Invermere Public Library on March 7, 2015.

My mother June Florence, aged 91, my biggest fan and the inspiration for my novel, came to lend moral support at the Invermere Christmas Craft Fair.

Dennis and Alice Lee, at the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives on November 30, 2014.

Veteran Robert Moore, Rebecca Robinson of Life Story Film, and Christina Neale of the Kelowna Museums Association, at the Okanagan Regional Library on Nov. 29, 2014.

Cheryl Godin and her grandchildren Kaydence and Rhys came dressed in wartime style to the independent bookstore Lotus Books in Cranbrook on November 22, 2014.

The Invermere Public Library staff dressed in vintage outfits at Pynelogs Cultural Centre in Invermere on November 14, 2014. What a great party!

Cafe Books in Canmore, Alberta was warm and welcoming on a snowy day, November 9, 2014.

Ruth Miller braved the crazy crowds at Chapters, Chinook Mall in Calgary on November 11, 2014.

Young pilot Tegen Dunnill Jones came to the Calgary Women in Aviation meeting on November 19, 2014.

Ray Elphick dropped by to chat at Red Deer Chapters on November 8, 2014. I was there with two other authors — Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail, and Anne Gafiuk.

There was a nice crowd at the Red Deer College Library for my book talk with authors Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail and Anne Gafiuk on November 7, 2014.

My friend Edith Jesswein invited me to speak at the Forestburg Public Library on November 5, 2014.

My niece Tricia Florence sang wartime tunes to the crowd at my Saskatoon event, at the independent McNally Robinson Books on November 4, 2014.

Doreen Gillis, whose eight older brothers all served in World War Two, came to my event at the independent bookstore Crandleberry’s in North Battleford on November 1, 2014.

Former Winnipeg Sun colleagues Paul Cantin and Linda Williamson showed up at my first-ever book event at the independent bookstore, Type Books in Toronto, on October 27, 2014.